Cash-strapped Britons are carrying on camping as four bank holidays in quick succession have prompted a rush of bookings for the UK's camping and caravan sites and retailers report a sharp rise in sales of equipment.

A survey by cycling and leisure retailer Halfords http://www.halfords.com/reveals the surge in popularity of camping over the last two years shows no sign of abating.

Extra days off this month and in May, generated by a late Easter, the royal wedding and multiple bank holidays, are encouraging workers to plan short breaks in the UK rather than going abroad. In a typical year, 2.5 million Brits jet off for Easter, but this year bookings for foreign travel are dramatically down, with less than 1 million planning to head for the Costas. This compares with 5.7 million due to holiday in the UK, 20% of them (1.15m) under canvas.

Spending cutbacks and the threat of strikes have put people off travelling overseas, with 25% saying they have decided not to book a foreign holiday this year.

Only 20% say they will definitely head abroad for the sun, while more than one in three, 35%, say they will be holidaying in the UK; 18% say they cannot afford a holiday while the remaining 27% are waiting for late deals or are yet to make their mind up. A recent Mintel http://www.mintel.com/report confirms the trend, stating that 26% fewer people will go abroad this year.

The Camping and Caravanning Club http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/ has reported a rise in advance bookings of 12% and a 25% rise in caravan and camping bookings respectively for the next four weeks at its 109 sites, compared to this time last year. Some campsites are already displaying "full" notices.

Robert Louden, director general of the Camping and Caravanning Club says: "Domestic holidays remain a popular option, helped by the ever growing cost of air travel, poor exchange rates and the widespread travel disruption. Holidaying in Britain is more attractive than ever, with camping in particular allowing families to drop their stressful day-to-day routine and spend some quality time together. I think a lot of people are looking to make the most of the break by taking off the three days between bank holidays, and our site bookings are reflecting this trend."

Halfords has seen growth in sales of camping gear in the last few years. Cool boxes, tent packs, cycle carriers, roofboxes and pop up tents have all become increasingly popular, in line with the trend to holiday in the UK.

Halfords' camping expert Paul Fensome says: "Customers tell us that camping is now a regular part of their holiday plans. They want great equipment at competitive prices – so they can enjoy the break without breaking the bank. Camping also adds to the amount of gear to transport, so we are advising customers on the best travel solutions, like roof boxes and helping them choose the right one and fitting it for them."

John Lewis http://www.johnlewis.com/says sales of camping equipment such as tents and sleeping bags were up 65% on last year with air beds the biggest seller. Sales of camping accessories have also risen by 50% with torches and pen knives proving the most popular products. Next week the retailer launches a new Festival range which includes essential equipment for the festival season, including Quickpitch tents, folding chairs and self-inflating mattresses.

The start of this year's camping fever comes only weeks after the government's new tourism strategy was announced, aimed at encouraging growth of domestic breaks from the current 20% of all longer-stay trips (four nights or more) to 29%.

A total of 5.43m camping trips were made last year, up 20% on the year before. The predicted hot summer, said by the Met Office to be the sunniest since 1976, is expected to send the figure much higher, possibly to over 6m.